


a home to keep (out of reach)

by obstinateRixatrix



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider W
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Pre-Relationship, basically what if wakana went on the run, spoilers up to episode 38
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29619123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstinateRixatrix/pseuds/obstinateRixatrix
Summary: While on the run from the museum, Wakana runs into Akiko.
Relationships: Narumi Akiko/Sonozaki Wakana
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	a home to keep (out of reach)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stuffandsundry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuffandsundry/gifts), [Randomprojects](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomprojects/gifts).



> asked for ideas, april & sundry requested akiko/wakana and I kind of combined their prompts (lol). thanks guys, & thanks sara for the once-over!

After being on the run for a few weeks, Wakana knows that the best way to avoid getting caught is to be paranoid.

Maybe the girl at the bus stop wasn’t one of the maids from the Sonozaki estate; Wakana never paid much attention to them before she left so she can’t be sure. Even if the girl was a maid, there’s a decent chance she didn’t see anything worth worrying about considering both the size of the crowd and Wakana’s disguise (a bobbed wig, glasses, and nondescript clothes). Even if the maybe-maid did catch sight of Wakana, there’s plenty of reasons for her to keep her head down and mouth shut; things tend to get... volatile in the household without concrete results—best case scenario the maybe-maid might be written off as incompetent, worst case scenario she might be accused of being part of some larger plot. So there are many reasons Wakana doesn’t need to panic yet.

Still, Wakana doubles back and takes a winding route to a cafe she has a passing familiarity with. It’s busy, which is both helpful and unhelpful—while that makes it easier to blend in with the other customers, the only free seat is at a table occupied by someone resting their head face-down on its surface, sheets of loose paper splayed out underneath their arms.

Wakana slides into the chair. “Do you mind if I sit here?” she asks, fixing a winning smile into place. The answer doesn’t matter, not really; she can work with what she gets, whether it’s interest, annoyance, whichever. And she shouldn’t be too recognizable, not with the wig-glasses combo, but if the other person does happen to connect the dots between the plainly dressed woman before them and Futo’s ex-healing princess, she can probably work an angle. She just needs to look like she’s meeting with someone, leave her coat on the chair to imply to any outside observer that she’s just taking a quick trip to the bathroom, then she can slip out the back.

The other person lets out an extended groan as they peel themselves off the table, one that escalates into a shout of recognition as she locks eyes with Wakana. “Wa—!”

Wakana lunges over the table to cover Akiko’s mouth. Once she’s sure Akiko won’t blow her cover, she sits back in her seat as naturally as possible.

“Seriously? Why did it have to be you!?” she hisses, dropping the act. 

“You’re the one who sat here!” Akiko squawks in affront, but (somehow) at a reasonably low volume. “Shouldn’t you be in hiding? Or something?”

Wakana gives her a pointed look, not bothering to justify such a stupid question with any response. Luckily, Akiko catches on, letting out an ‘oooh’ of dawning realization. Then she very obviously cranes her neck to not-so-subtly look around, until Wakana shoves her back in her seat. 

“Stop that,” she snaps. “If I do get caught it’s going to be your fault. Just go back to whatever you’re doing and let me sit for a second.”

“Do you need any help? I can call Philip...“

For a second, the temptation is almost overwhelming. He’s on her side. He’s been working against the museum for at least a year, probably longer. And above all that, he’s family—or at least, he was family, back when that meant something...

“I just need to sit for a second,” she says, finally. Then she can slip out the back, out of the cafe and away from all this. Just a second, and she’ll leave. “What are you working on?”

Surprisingly enough, Akiko cooperates with the transparent change in subject. “So you know that bakery you had on your show? Across the street there’s a storefront that’s been empty for a while. Uchik—the landlord,” Akiko amends, apparently realizing she shouldn’t be so transparent with an ongoing investigation, “claims that it’s always been empty, but I’m sure she’s hiding something. I’ve been looking but none of this paperwork says anything about the property being rented out and I can’t find any public records about—“

“Aya Watanabe,” Wakana says. Akiko whips her head up, clearly ready to shout something until she sees the expression on Wakana’s face. To reward her rare display of consideration, Wakana continues with, “She was opening a secondhand shop. I was going to have her on my show for her grand opening about seven months ago, but something happened and she backed out at the last second. I think the station still has her phone number on record.”

“I knew the old lady was lying!” Akiko stage-whispers, which is still pretty conspicuous.

“You’re welcome.” Wakana rolls her eyes. “I can’t help you with the station for obvious reasons, so I’ll leave you to do the rest of your job.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Akiko doesn’t even try to match Wakana’s disdain. “Hey, you know the city almost as well as that half-boiled idiot. You should join our agency!”

It takes a second for Wakana to process exactly what Akiko’s suggesting. “...You’re offering me a job!?”

“Of course I am!” Akiko says, as if it’s a completely reasonable and not at all absurd development. “Like I said, Shotaro knows a lot about Futo, but not everything. And Philip needs the right keywords to get anywhere. Having you around would fill in a lot of gaps. And...” She reaches across the table, putting her hand over Wakana’s. “There’s a place for you here. You don’t have to figure out everything alone, y’know.”

It’s stupid. It’d never work out. Wakana doesn’t even like anyone at the agency other than Raito, and he’s the reason she’s been keeping her distance. Not to mention how much more incentive their father would have to crush Narumi Detective Agency; they’ve only survived so long because he’s let them. But even knowing all that, the idea of joining them has... an appeal. 

“I can’t,” Wakana says. Not yet.

Akiko stares at her for a long moment. But instead of insisting, or throwing a tantrum, or anything dramatic, she just says: “Okay. But I’m not giving up on you. None of us are.” Then, with a smile that’s too sincere, “Join us when you’re ready. Shotaro needs to be put in his place.”

Wakana huffs out a laugh. “He really does, doesn’t he.” She indulges in another few seconds before pulling back, stupidly missing the warmth of Akiko’s hand.

“Thanks,” she says as she leaves, jacket still hanging off the back of her chair.

**Author's Note:**

> sara mentioned that akiko could return the coat when they next meet up which... Hell Yea. anyway thanks for reading femslash for a show that aired 12 years ago.


End file.
